Quick break plug connecter



April 18, 1933. H. L. STRONGSON 1,904,839

QUICK BREAK PLUG CONNECTER Filed Nov. 14, 1930 INVENTOR Harman L. 5fr-on son BY s ATTORNEY6 b k relative location of parts, all as. will be set Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED; STATES P T T V HERMAN L. s'rnoNesoN. or NEW casing removed;

the following disclosure YORK, N. NEW YORK, N. Y.

Y., ASSIGN'OR r0 BERNARD D. count, or V QUICK BREAK'PLUG CONNECT a This invention relates in break plug'connecters. 7

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a plug connecter such as is used for connecting household electrical appliances in circuit which is so constructed as to effect a rapid snapping break incircuit when the plug isremoved fromthe appliance.

A :furtherobject of this invention is the provision of terminal receiving clipsmounted for move ment against the reactionv of a spring so that the clips are snapped from the terminal of the appliance as the plug is removed.

'A still further object of'this invention is the provision of an apparatus of this type which is relatively cheap in construction, ex-

general to quick ceedingly simple in structure and adapted to cheap and rapid manufacture inquantity. 7

These and other objects as will appear from are secured by means of this invention. x r This-invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement and forth in greater detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing;

.Figure 1 is an outside plan view of the device a Fig.2 is an interior view with half of the Fig. '3 is a cross-sectional'view taken on. the line 33 of Fig. 2;

7 Fig. l is a side elevational view of one of the clips.

Fig. is a detailed view similar to Fig. 2 with some parts broken away showing the conductor wires connected directly to the operation between the iclips'and the term nals to reduce this destructive sparking;

Referring tothe drawing, the plug connecter comprises' 'asjis usual, a two-part com} plementary insulating casing comprising the upperand lower halves 11 and 2. These parts are held together by {screws 3 usually pro- .vided with nuts;"Each halfof the casing provided with a 'semi jcircular opening 54 through which the conductor wires enter the. casing. Within recesses within the casing are the screws 5 to which the conductor wires are attached. In this invention thereisalso secured to these screws small coil sp'ringsti,

Each halfof the casing is providedwith par.- allel rectangular recesses 7 separated by a longitudinal wall 8 which forms partof each half of the' casing. Slidablysupported' in these recesses; are the spring clips 9 which are provided Withfscrews 110 tofwhich the;

other ends ofsprings 6 areattachedl Each sprlng clip9 is constructed of the form shown in Fig. 4. It is'made of. suitable spring metal, such as brass, andghas a portion 15.;which'is transversely curved as is apparent from a Fig. .3.

This portion 15 is complementary to transversely curved portion 18, and thetwo portions are connected by the integral curved .30 bothlegs of the curved portion with its head portion 16. ;The screw 10 passes through lying between the side wings 17. Theends of the portions and 18 are curved outwardly, as at11 9. "The terminal'pins ofelectrical appliances are usually in theform of round. rods "with round ends. Thusfwhen the plug is applied to the terminal pins the round ends ,engagethe-curved ends 19 of the. clips to e'ifect easy entry of the pins between the'transversely curved portions 15 and 18. This constructioninsures rapid application of the plug andfigood contact between the clips and the terminal pins. When the plug isbeing withdrawnthe r friction'al engagement withthe pins and the clips causes springs-6 tobe put undertension, so that the clips slide jlongitudinally {forward so as to projectbeyond thelcasi'n'g. -When'the' resistance of spr ngsfi overcomes .the'frictional resistance betwe n he pins andlthe 7 clips, these springs snap the clips back into the casing and suddenly break the connection between the clips and the pins. As shown in Fig. 2, the normal position of the clips is that they are fully withdrawn within the casing. Inthe construction shown, the springs 6 carry the current from screws 5 to the clips, but the invention, of course, is not necessarily limited in this respect, since contact could be made through flexible connections directly to the clips. It is, of

course, apparent that this invention is not greatly, the springs 6 will not be over-.

stretched and the clips will not be pulled too far out of the casing. These recesses do notinterfere with the quick breaking ac tion, of the connecter as they permit the Springs 6 to act to snap the clips back into the casing. Although in usual practice disconnection will occur eXterio-rly of the casing so that the heat of the spark will be easily dissipated, it is apparent that the casing can be made longerso that the break will'occur within the casing.

The modification shown in Fig. 5 is quite similar to the form of the device in Fig. 2, and although the recesses 20 are not shown in the form of Fig. 5 they can, of course, be employed. The main distinguishing feature of the structure ofFig. 5 is that the wires 25 of'the flexible cord pass through springs 6 and are mechanically and electrically attached to screws 10. The springs 6 are, of course,-anchored to the casing by springsfi at one end and are secured to the screws. 10 and the clips at the other end. With this arrangement the springs 6 do not carry the current as the conductors are directly connected to the clips 9. It is also pointed out here thatthisinvention is not limited to'a two-partcasing, nor is it limited to an insulated casing since a metal casing of suitable form could be employed with insulatingsupports therein for the various parts It is hardly necessary to point out that the conductors '25 must have suflicient slack to permit the movement of clips 9 in the form of the invention (Fig. 5) where the conductors are directly attached to the clips.

' From the above descriptiOm-it will be ap., parent that this invention resides in certain features of construction which may be embodied inother physical forms without departure from the invention; I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the dis-v closure given for purposes of illustration, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: I

. 1. A plug connecter of the type described comprising an insulatingcasing having recesses therein, a movable spring clip in each recess, a spring connectedto each clip, and

;means "for attaching each spring to the casing.

2. A plug connecter of the type described comprising an insulating casing having recesses therein, a movable spring clip in each recess, a-spring con nected to each clip, and means for anchoring each spring to the cas- 8O ing, said anchoring means providing the means to which the conductor wires are attached to the plug. 7 I e p 3. A quick break plugconnecter of the type described comprising a two-part casing having recesses'therein, a connecting clip movably supported in each recess, a spring attached to-each clip, and means for anchoring the springsto the casing, said springs being the sole current conductors from theanchoring means to the clips. 1 r

4:. A quick break plugconnecter of thetype described comprising an insulating support, spring clips movably mounted on saidsupport, said spring clips comprisingcontinuous clips slidably mounted in said recesses, said pin receiving clips comprising continuous M pieces ofspring metal formed to provide complementary pin receiving portions of curved cross-section, a coil spring connected to each of said clips, and means for anchoring the coil springs to said casing. i 6. A quick break plug connecter of the type described comprising a two-part insulating casing having recesses therein,'pin receiving clips slidably mounted in; said recesses, said pin receiving clips comprising continuous pieces of spring metal formed to provide complementary pin receiving portions of curved cross-section, a coil spring connected to each of said clips, and means for anchoring the coil springs to said casing, said casr. ing having an opening therein through which the connecting wires pass for attachment to said anchoring means.

7. A plug connecter comprising a casing, spring clips slidably mounted within said casing, and resilient means for resisting the spring clips slidably mounted in said casing, springs for resisting the sliding movement of said clips, and current carrying conductors mechanically and electrically connected to said clips directly.

9. A plug connecter comprising a casing, f

spring terminal pin receivingclips slidably mounted in said casing, springs anchored to said casing and connected to said clips to resist their movement, and insulated current carrying Wires passing through said springs and connected directly to said clips.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 13th day of November, A. D.

HERMAN L. 1 STRONGSON. 

